Strangers (ON HOLD)

Chapter Four: Ren

"What?!" I jumped to my feet, slamming my palms on the table.

"You two are getting married," my father said, his voice calm. "In three weeks."

"But I don't even know her!" I glanced at the girl, Emi, who sat silently in her chair, her fork still in her hand.

The girl had long black hair that fell a little short of her waist, and her skin was pale and luminous. She was a little shorter than me, and she was petite of frame, like a baby bird. From the brief moments where she had met my eyes, I knew that hers were grass green. She was beautiful, but in the little time I had known her, she had been weak and pathetic, unworthy of my attention.

"It's not up for debate," my mother said, her voice stern. "It's for the best that we combine the bloodlines. Think of the powerful mages that you'd be able to produce."

"I... I..." Emi tried to speak, and I noticed that her hands were shaking, her fork quivering above her food. Instead of speaking, she stood up, fleeing the room.

"Look at her!" I growled. "She's so weak-looking!"

"Which is what makes her perfect to be a wife," my father grabbed my arm. "She comes from the Griffins, who are our only equals in power, and she won't cause any trouble for either of us."

"Think of her as...a pet..." her father, Gareth, said. "Someone needs to look after her, and we won't be able to do so forever. We're sure that, if you two were to bond, it would be successful."

"But we've just met!"

"That doesn't matter," my mother said sternly. "It's for the best, Ren."

"I can't believe this," I gave up, dropping my hands to my sides and leaving the room.

"They'll understand, when the time comes," I heard Emi's mother say in a hushed voice.

"I hope that they do," my father grumbled.

I scowled, and stormed up the stairs. I had almost reached my room when the door of the bathroom beside it opened. Squeaking, Emi moved to close it again, but I caught the door in my hand. I looked her up and down, and was surprised to see that her eyes were red, like she had been crying. But her cheeks were bone dry.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "Did you need to use the bathroom?"

"I don't understand why they would think that you'd suit me," I sneered. "Come on!"

I saw that her knees shook, and her fists were clenched at her sides. She clenched her jaw, and ducked under my arm. I caught her elbow, yanking her back around to face me.

"Well, it's clear that you like this as much as I do. Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because it didn't surprise me," she mumbled, meeting my eyes. "I don't have the magic that my parents wanted for me, so I figured that they'd come up with some other way to use me. Now let me go!"

She yanked her elbow out of my grip, and hurried down the stairs. I heard her telling her parents that she would walk home, get some air. They all agreed, and I was surprised that they didn't ask her to take me along. I heard the front door open and close, and I locked myself in my room, not speaking to anyone until morning.

"Ren, you'll be late for school!" my mother was pounding on the door. "Get up, or I will break the door down!"

I frowned, and rolled out of bed, opening the door and scowling at her. "What?"

"Get dressed. School starts in twenty minutes, and I won't have you being truant again!"

"Yeah, yeah," I closed the door, and I stripped out of the clothes I'd gone to sleep in last night, pulling on my school uniform, which I could compare to military greens.